Horse racing's 3-year-old wars move to Saratoga - UPI.com

1 of 2 | Sierra Leone, shown winning the Grade I Blue Grass, is the favorite in Saturday’s Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, a key stop on the road to the 3-year-old championship. Photo courtesy of Keeneland

July 26 (UPI) — The 3-year-old battle rages on with Saturday’s Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga offering several of the division’s top players to move back into the top ranks of the competition.

The Classic, Sprint and Turf divisions also have important stops on their way to eventual year-end honors.

Internationally, Saturday’s King George Stakes at Ascot offers some of Europe’s best a very competitive chance to win a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf in November.

The race for the 3-year-old championship moves back to Saratoga and takes another lap this weekend.

Dornoch jumped into the division lead with a workmanlike victory in last Saturday’s Haskell at Monmouth Park, but now any of three other top contenders could challenge for that spot by winning Saturday’s $500,000 Grade II Jim Dandy.

The Jim Dandy, in fact, is a more competitive heat than the Haskell, featuring Sierra Leone, who all but won the Kentucky Derby, finishing second to Mystik Dan, despite his stretch tussle with Forever Young.

Before that epic finish he won the Grade II Risen Star at Fair Grounds and the Grade I Blue Grass at Keeneland. And he was third in the Belmont Stakes in his last start. He’s the even-money favorite on the morning line for the Saratoga test.

Then, there’s Fierceness, who scratched out of the Haskell to give stablemate Mindframe a clear shot (he finished second).

Despite his in-and-out record, Fierceness was the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Eclipse Award champion and won the Florida Derby by half the length of the stretch before flopping in Louisville.

And don’t forget Seize the Grey. He bypassed the Run for the Roses in favor of the Grade II Pat Day Mile, which he won, then went to Baltimore for the Preakness, which he also won after leading all the way over a muddy track.

He faded from the lead in the Belmont Stakes, finishing seventh as Dornoch, Mindframe and Sierra Leone reported 1-2-3.

Saturday’s $250,000 Grade III Monmouth Oaks isn’t exactly star-studded. But it does have Gun Song, winner of the Grade II Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico on Preakness weekend; Regaled, third in the Grade III Delaware Oaks in her most recent start; and Little Jamie, who was second in the Grade III Indiana Oaks in her last outing.

Saturday’s $300,000 Grade II San Diego Handicap at Del Mar has Arabian Knight, Newgrange, Dr. Venkman and Subsandor.

Nine are entered for Saturday’s $175,000 (Canadian) Grade II Seagram Cup on the Woodbine all-weather and red-hot trainer Mark Casse saddles three of them — Palazzi, Volcanic and Paramount Prince.

The Chosen Vron has won 13 of his last 14 starts, so why wouldn’t he be the 6-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s $400,000 Grade I Bing Crosby at Del Mar, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint?

The string includes a win in last year’s Bing Crosby and is broken only by his fifth-place finish in last year’s Breeders’ Cup.

Saturday’s $350,000 Grade I Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga got a competitive field, indeed, with Baby Yoda, Subrogate and Skelly all coming off impressive efforts and Nakatomi, third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint, making his first start since finishing third in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in March.

Five 3-year-olds go sprinting in Friday’s $200,000 Grade II Amsterdam at Saratoga. None stands out, but Jefferson Street, with allowance wins at Keeneland and Saratoga’s Belmont Stakes meeting, is the narrow morning-line favorite.”

Already in the books: Spirit Wind won Wednesday’s $200,000 Grade II Honorable Miss at Saratoga by 3/4-length victory over Accede. Your So Sillea won Monday’s $125,000 Twin Bridges Stakes at Ellis Park by 5 1/2 lengths, geared down.

Sunday’s $250,000 Grade II Eddie Read at Del Mar drew nine, including familiar faces Balnikhov, Gold Phoenix and Easter from the Phil D’Amato barn, the Bob Baffert-trained Du Jour and Johannes, winner of four of his last five starts for Tim Yakteen.

Godolphin’s Silver Knott is the odds-on morning-line pick in Sunday’s $250,000 Grade II Bowling Green at Saratoga after consecutive victories in the Grade II Elkhorn at Keeneland and the Grade II Man o’ War at Aqueduct.

Saturday’s $135,000 (Canadian) Grade III Ontario Colleen for 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine has a baker’s dozen with Ready for Shirl and Sabatini heading the local team and Chad Brown invading with Grecian Goddess.

Dontlookbackatall won a five-horse scramble to the finish in Thursday’s $200,000 Grade III Caress for fillies and mares at Saratoga.

The 4-year-old daughter of Peace and Justice rallied from a stalking trip behind a three-way pace battle and prevailed by a neck over Danse Macabre with five horses in the picture at the finish.

Dontlookbackatall ran 5 1/2 furlongs on firm going in 1:01.39 with Irad Ortiz Jr. up.

Eight are in for Saturday’s $100,000 Daisycutter Handicap for fillies and mares at Del Mar and it looks like just about anyone’s race.

It’s a stellar international cast for Saturday’s Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot, a “Win and You’re In” for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Five were last seen winning Group 1 races, another was second in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. Among them are Auguste Rodin, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf winner and a candidate for this year’s Japan Cup, Luxembourg and Rebel’s Romance.

Sunday’s Group 1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville has some of the top Continental fillies and mares including Group 1 winners Blue Rose Sen, Mqse De Sevigne and Kelina.

Fantastic Moon has been in-and-out throughout his career, but still stands out in a field of nine for Sunday’s Group 1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in Munich.

It’s another big race day Sunday at Greyville in Durban, with the Hong Kong Jockey Club supporting a program that includes the Group 1 HKJC Champions Cup and a pair of Group 1 races for 2-year-olds.